Cabin in the woods or theme park thrills? Planning a family vacation doesn’t always have to mean giving up one option for another. On a Florida road trip we opted for a bit of both when we stayed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Cabins, a great accommodation option for a family of five.
We recently stayed at Walt Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge Villas, another great vacation option for larger families, but the Fort Wilderness Cabins take you out of the lodge and put you in a standalone cabin.
After checking in at the main cabin, where the kids enjoyed a game of checkers by the fireplace while we completed the paperwork, we were given directions to our single cabin. Like our Orlando vacation home rental, I loved that we could drive right up and park right outside our cabin versus parking in a vast resort parking lot. This was like a home-away-from-home located in a wooded lot.
The Fort Wilderness Cabins offer a perfect cottage getaway with Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park fun just a boat ride away. The cabin itself has room for a family, with a bedroom at the back holding a double bed and a bunkbed, perfect space for the kids. In the center of the cabin you’ll find a full kitchen to stock and prepare family meals (and save on the cost of eating out). The other end of the cabin includes the sitting area with a TV perfect for Disney cartoons over breakfast. At night the wall unit pulls down into a bed providing a sleeping spot for mom and dad, wth just enough separation from the kids.
Along with space to relax as a family, the property also offered fun distractions in the form of hula hoops and outdoor games, a swimming pool and even beach fun. The kids loved topping up their refillable mugs at the Trail’s End Restaurant, learning new hoop games from the very friendly staff.
Guests can rent a golf cart to get around the expansive cabin and campground though many people seem to bring their bikes. There are pathways for guests to walk, the way we made our way from place to place, but there is also an internal bus system guests can use (perfect for rainy days or a long day in the park).
You can even catch the Electrical Water Pageant down on the beach. That’s one thing you can expect from Disney. Even if you don’t head into the parks, you can count on your kids being treated as the most important guest.
Of course for those days when we felt like a little excitement, we grabbed the boat over to Magic Kingdom.
Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Cabins offer larger families a little more space to spread out, providing comforts of home and facilities to keep the kids entertained, just a quick ride away from Magic Kingdom and the rest of Walt Disney World has to offer.
The Fort Wilderness Cabins really are a hidden gem at Walt Disney World. It is a very different place to stay, but it is so close to all the parks. It’s a lot of fun to rent a golf cart to get around!